


A Second Chance

by Ggeri_Sminth



Series: June Birthday Bash [4]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Alpha Hinata, Alpha Shikamaru, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Anxiety, Break Up, Don’t copy to another site, Getting Back Together, M/M, Mpreg, Omega Neji
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-12
Updated: 2019-06-12
Packaged: 2020-05-01 20:42:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,336
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19185184
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ggeri_Sminth/pseuds/Ggeri_Sminth
Summary: “A second chance? After you broke it off? In a public place?” and “I’m pregnant, and you’re the father.”





	1. Chapter 1

Neji was sure that the universe had it out for him or if he was just cursed, he was starting to lean more towards being cursed. Though it wouldn’t be unreasonable that the universe just had it in for him after all his whole life had been one bad thing after another and the only good thing that came into his life was Shikamaru. Not anymore of course, no he had fucked that over royally thus adding to his conclusion that he is cursed.

He and Shikamaru had broken up about a month a half ago give or take a few days, not that Neji had been counting. The morning sickness had started a week ago, after seven days of throwing up at the slightest of change Neji finally decided to pick up a pregnancy test. He wasn’t sure what he was expecting, praying that maybe he just had a bad case of food poison. No instead on the counter sat a test with two red lines staring up at him. Telling him the one thing that he feared the most, he was with child.

Neji doesn’t know how far along he is, not far enough for him to start showing but long enough to start throwing up. He knows that he should see a doctor but that scares him. An unbonded pregnant Omega will need an Alpha present and they usually want the Alpha that got them nocked up. The Alpha would have all the control, Neji wouldn’t have any control. He could ask his sister to go with him, as an Alpha she would be able to help him. Neji just wasn’t sure if he could bring himself to ask her. He wondered how long he could last without going to the doctor.

The only thing that Neji could think of doing was to tell Shikamaru, and maybe if he was feeling kind, he would allow Neji to keep the child. He wouldn’t take it from him. Neji shuttered his own father hadn’t allowed his mother to keep him why would Shikamaru be any different. He would want the child, and Neji knew that Shikamaru would be a better parent that he could ever be, and yet he wanted to keep the child all to himself. He is all alone, there is no one left to look after him. He has no friends, they all left.

Shikamaru had been everything and when Neji left him he had left everyone else in their life. Neji hadn’t known that at the time. Maybe he would have thought better before doing so, knowing that everyone would take Shikamaru's side leaving him alone. With no support, with nothing to his name, sleeping on his sisters’ couch. Hinata has been so kind to him, she hadn’t left him per se but Kiba had made it very clear where they stood in the whole issue and that Neji needed to find another place to stay.

He had gotten a hotel the next day, feeling so abandoned. He had thought that blood would be stronger than that, but his sister would bend to Kibas wishes than give him a place to stay. Would it be manipulative to tell Shikamaru about the baby, to use that to get back in his good graces? Would it even work? Would it even be worth it? He and Shikamaru had been a relationship for over a decade, they had been together since he was 16. Ten years of love all to be thrown down the toilet because he was too stupid and stubborn for his own good.

It really was and is all his fault, he did this to himself. Neji does know though if he could go back in time, he would tell his past self that it isn’t what he thinks it is, that things are going to be good and he just needs to stick by Shikamaru. The sad thing is that Neji knew Shikamaru wasn’t cheating on him, in the back of his mind. Shikamaru had never done anything to make him think that, no evidence of any sorts. That didn’t stop the little voice inside of him telling him that Shikamaru was sneaking around behind his back, fucking that bitch Temari. Yet that wasn’t what was going on.

Oh, everyone had been so happy to inform him of the wrong that he caused, telling him how pathetic that he was. How Shikamaru deserved someone better and now he would get that person. Shikamaru didn’t need him in his life and how they couldn’t believe that Shikamaru was going to propose. How Shikamaru had dodged a bullet. Neji is sure that they are right, Shikamaru is better off without him. After all, if he can’t even give him a chance to explain himself then maybe it is better this way.

And yet Neji knows that isn’t the truth. He is Pregnant and he needs the Alpha; and more than anything that scares Neji. Neji looks at the test once more before shaking his head and moving out of the bathroom back to the sleeping area. He picks up his cell. Neji worries his bottom lip with his teeth before scrolling through his contacts hitting the dial on Shikamaru's number.

The phone rings and rings and just like every other time he calls no one picks up and Neji is forced to talk to Shikamaru’s voice mail.

“Shikamaru,” Neji says softly, “I know that you don’t want to talk to me… as obvious by you not returning any of my calls… I just I’m sorry… and I know you don’t care but I need to talk to you in person. Please… please call me back… I just, please Shikamaru.”

Neji wants to add ‘I love you’ to the end but he is sure that will be too much. Though it might get Shikamaru to call him back. Once he is done Neji lies down, his phone sits on this bed near his hand. He isn’t expecting a callback and his stomach turns at the idea of it ringing. What is he going to say, he isn’t quite sure, but Neji knows that it must be something to keep Shikamaru from just dismissing him?

Neji is startled awake by the ringing of his phone and in his hurry to answer it he bypasses glancing at who is calling. His mind is still foggy and slow as he speaks, “Hello.”

“Where do you want to meet?”

Neji’s mind blanks at the hollow sound of Shikamaru’s voice causing him to freeze, does he truly want to go through with this?

“Neji,” the tone has a hint of annoyance now, “where do you want to meet?”

Neji stutters, “Witches Brew… I promise not to make a scene.”

He receives a dry laugh in return, “fine, at 8 tomorrow.”

Before Neji can answer the phone clicks and Neji knows that Shikamaru has hung up on him. Neji lies the phone back down as his hands shake and tears rush to from his eyes. He fucked up so bad and now he was going to crawl back and grovel, but he was sure that it wouldn’t be enough. He’d tried so hard. Leaving messages, apologies repeatedly. But Shikamaru wasn’t listening and Neji couldn’t blame him, it hurt none the less.

With his alarm set for seven Neji drifts back off into a restless sleep, knowing that tomorrow will be a long emotional day that will leave him winded and out of sorts on many levels, again making him wonder if it will be all worth it. He must remind himself that the child will be better off, he hopes. The only way to talk to a doctor is to have an Alpha present, he only hopes that Shikamaru allows him to keep the child.

The Witches Brew is a small coffee shop that Neji has come to love and feel comfortable at. A place that he can go when things go wrong, a safe place for him to be when life seems to smack him around. He doesn’t know if this place will still be that safe place after this is all over, Neji can only hope so. He wonders if he should have picked this place, he wanted the comfort, but would it be the same afterward.

Neji arrives early and orders himself some tea sitting in a seat near the window his eyes daze over as he slips his tea waiting for Shikamaru arrival. He is so invested that he doesn’t even notice that Shikamaru had arrived until a cleared throat alerts him to another presence. Neji wants to smile at Shikamaru, he looks the same as always unlike himself. He knows that he looks terrible, there are dark circles under his eyes, and he is quite pale. Mostly from his inability to keep most foods down now.

“Shikamaru,” he says softly.

Shikamaru slides into the chair across from Neji, his hands are folded on the table. He doesn’t have a drink and Neji realizes that Shikamaru doesn’t plan to be here long. It makes his eyes water; he isn’t even worth Shikamaru’s time. He already knew this but seeing it was a tough pill to swallow.

“So why now do you want to talk, it’s been six weeks Neji.”

Neji blinked, “What no, I called two days after the fight… I left a message… you never called me back I tried for two weeks. You never answered and you never picked up… I…” Neji hung his head, “I was sure you didn’t want to hear my apologies so… so I gave up.”

Shikamaru hums quietly, “Alright let’s say I believe you.”

Neji jerks back eyes watery again. He wants to yell but he had promised no outbursts. How could Shikamaru not believe him? “What do you mean, I’ve never lied to you before… Shikamaru, why would I lie to you?”

Shikamaru doesn’t say anything for a minute, “It doesn’t matter, what did you want to talk about. It wasn’t that you were sorry… so?”

Neji takes a deep breath, “I want… no, well I would like another chance. Please, let me make it up to you…”

Shikamaru lets out a sharp laugh, “You want another chance, you left me in a restaurant. You publicly humiliated me by accusing me of cheating on you. And now what you want me to what, forgive you and just take up back because you are sorry. Sorry, Neji you were screaming, you wouldn’t even listen.”

Neji drops his head, “I know…”

“You know… we have been together since we were 16. I have never, ever given you a reason to think that I was cheating on you. Nor have I thought about cheating on you, why would I start now. What reason would I have to leave a relationship I have been in for ten years? A relationship that is fulfilling and what I thought was happy.”

Neji takes in a shuttering breath, “You were sneaking around being so secretive, I didn’t know what was going on. I asked around… no one would tell me anything, and I shouldn’t have asked her... I shouldn’t have listened but… I’m sorry Shikamaru please believe me…”

“Asked who?”

“Temari.”

Shikamaru took a deep breath before pinching his nose, “Temari. Well, that would explain a few things.”

Neji didn’t get his hopes up he knew that even though this would maybe clear him of some things It wasn’t going to fix things in the long run. There was no way to know what Shikamaru was going to do next.

“I still don’t understand why you are coming to me now. You could have easily come by the apartment you did have the key.”

Neji looked away biting his lip, “Kiba took it from me…”

Shikamaru raises an eyebrow, “Kiba took it from you. You are full of excuses today, aren’t you? Called me but couldn’t get through, Kiba took your key, Tamari led you to believe that I was cheating on you. Nothing on you, nothing at all.”

Neji closed his eyes this was stupid he should just get to the point, “Fine.” Tears started dripping down his cheeks, “It’s all my fault, I did it all I should have just realized and Temari was trying to get to me. I should have fought Kiba for my key when he kicked me out of my fucking sisters' house. I should have called you more, annoyed you into calling me back. I should have done all of this, would have made it so much better, but you know what I don’t think it would have or will. I just, I’m pregnant. Okay, I can’t go to a doctor without your or my sister there. I have to have an Alpha.”

Neji shoves his chair back as he stands tears dripping down his cheeks, “Well I’ll ask my sister. And when I give birth you can forget about seeing your fucking name on the birth certificate. If I don’t know who the father is the father can’t take my child away from me. It’s all I have left Shikamaru. I’m alone and no one wants me. I’m not letting you take the one person that can’t leave me.”

With that Neji turns and runs out of the café not looking back. He can’t he’s so hurt. Shikamaru didn’t believe him he didn’t care. It was all Neji’s fault and he had no one to blame but himself and he should have known that Shikamaru would never take him back. It had been a mistake; he should have never called.

Shikamaru sat there blinking his mind going over all the details. Neji was pregnant, it is obviously his child. There would be no other reason to tell him. He wanted to be with him, and he hadn’t planned on using the Pregnancy to guilt Shikamaru into taking him back. Instead, he was willing to beg for forgiveness. Temari had been spending way too much time around, she could easily erase phone calls and messages especially if Neji was calling the home phone. Kiba had said that Neji gave him the key back. That had seemed strange, all Neji’s things were still at their apartment and Shikamaru didn’t really know why he hadn’t come and get it.

He growled softly No one was going to stop him from being in his child’s life. He took a deep breath, Neji had looked scared, acting as if Shikamaru would take the child from him. He blinked, did Neji truly believe that he wouldn’t allow him to keep the child. To raise him, as the child’s mother that would be cruel. The child deserved to have their mother and their father. Shikamaru looked around before pulling out his cell.

Hinata picked up on the first ring, “Hello Shikamaru, what can I do for you.”

“Where is Neji staying?”

Hinata paused, “at a hotel, why?”

“Why did you kick him out?”

Hinata hummed, “I didn’t, he just left. Kiba said he was going to stay at a hotel and that he didn’t want to bother me anymore. He hasn’t even called me since he left. I just assumed he was moving on… Why Shikamaru is Neji okay?”

Her voice had begun to tremble towards the end and Shikamaru had to take a deep breath in order to not start growling, “No, but he will be. I want you to call him and get his address and then text me it. Don’t tell him that I want to know. He’s upset and I don’t want to make it worse. And Hinata, Neji didn’t leave because he wanted to.”

Hinata puffed out a breath, “Kiba…. I’ll call him. Just Shikamaru, what are you going to do. You aren’t together anymore. Neji said you were cheating on him. I know that isn’t the case, but…”

Shikamaru frowns and rubs his forehead, “I’m going to do what I was planning on doing that night.”

Hinata gasped softly, “Shikamaru do you really think that is wise, there’s no likely chance that he will say yes.”

“I know that, but there is more to this story than I can tell you right now. Just please get me that address.”

Hinata gave her affirmative before hanging up. Shikamaru sat at the table another couple of minutes before standing up and taking a deep breath. He made a quick call to work telling his secretary to delay all his meetings to another day as he wouldn’t be coming in. Then headed back to his apartment to pick up a few things. Shikamaru is sure that Neji isn’t going to say yes. In fact, he is sure that Neji isn’t going to want to have anything to do with him, but Shikamaru is going to take care of Neji and he is going to make sure that Neji doesn’t lose the child that is growing within him.

It’s several hours before Hinata texts him an address with a room number. Shikamaru can feel his throat clogging with vile at the address that he receives. He must stop himself from calling Kiba and threatening him with strangulation.

It doesn’t take him long to get to the hotel that Neji is staying at, nor does it take him that long to find the room. He just prays that Neji is there and not out, he doesn’t want to stand about and scare Neji away. With a deep breath, he knocks on the door. There is no answer and so he knocks again after a minute just as he is about to knock again the door opens. Neji blinks at him before trying to slam the door in his face.

Shikamaru stops the door from closing with his foot, “Neji I know you don’t want to see me, but we need to finish the conversation that you so abruptly left.”

“That conversation is over. As you said I am to blame, and I should stop making excuses.”

Shikamaru sighs softly before forcing the door open. Neji stumbled back eyes huge fear coursing through the air. Shikamaru doesn’t stop instead he pulls Neji into his embrace pressing a kiss to Neji’s temple. Neji stiffens before relaxing into the embrace. It isn’t fair how the smell of his supposed mate could calm him down so quickly.

Shikamaru doesn’t let Neji go as he starts talking, “I am not going to try and take our baby away from you Neji. I would never do that to you. Do you understand?”

Neji brings his hands up to Shikamaru’s back grasping his shirt in his fists as tears start to flow harder. He had thought he was done crying, that there weren’t any more tears left in him. He was wrong. “I miss you Shikamaru please I want to come home… I’m sorry I’ll do anything to make it up to you, please let me come home.”

Shikamaru breaths in and then out again pulling back, “I know Neji, you don’t have to do anything to make it up to me. I am going to take care of you.” He presses his hand against Neji’s stomach, “Both of you.”

Shikamaru pressing back in pulling Neji back against him nosing Neji’s hair taking in the scent of his mate. Neji presses closer to him, rubbing his cheek against his chest, “I can come home, you promise?”

Shikamaru smiles and separates himself from Neji, “Yes but first I have to ask you something, okay?”

Neji looks nervous and scared still but he nods his head.

Shikamaru hums softly, “I think first I owe you an explanation to why I was quote and quote sneaking around.” Shikamaru moves over to the bed even as he sticks his nose up to it as sits down patting the spot next to him. Neji moves slowly over to the bed and sits down still a little wary of what Shikamaru is going to say but is willing to listen.

“You see I have this whole thing planned out,” Shikamaru reaches into his pants pocket and pulls out a small velvet box. Neji’s eyes widen and he gasps.

“No… no…”

Shikamaru doesn’t move for a second before brushing a string of tears from Neji’s cheek, “I was going to ask you to marry me that night.”

Neji shook his head, “And what about now, do you still want to marry me?”

Shikamaru smiles as he slips off the bed onto his knees sliding in between Neji’s legs. He pulls open the case, “Yes Neji I do still want to marry you, so here’s the million-dollar question will you marry me? Will you become my mate?”

Neji huffs before looking away curling his fingers in his hand and then uncurling them, “If I say no… can I still come home?”

Shikamaru sets the ring aside and then pulls Neji’s hands into his own cupping them gently, “You can answer however you want, and I will still take you home. If you don’t want to get married or you don’t think that you are ready, I will still take you home. I will still love you. I am not going to abandon you again.”

Neji nods his head, “I’m not ready… I want to be your mate so bad… but I, this made me realize that I let my anxiety get in the way of everything and you weren’t there for over a month when I needed you.” Neji stops praying that he won’t upset Shikamaru again but instead of anger he only sees the love in his eyes, “I want to come home and…”

“And you need time, Neji you can have as much time as you need.”

Shikamaru presses the case into Neji’s hand, “you keep ahold of this and when you are ready you put it on. Not any time before that. Now,” Shikamaru stands pulling Neji up with him, “get your stuff so we can go home.”

Shikamaru pauses before brushing his thumb over Neji’s mouth, “Is it okay that I kiss you.”

Neji nearly wines, “Please.”

The kiss that they share is soft, just a simple press of lips against lips but it’s enough to make Neji melt. He missed this the most, the closeness that being with Shikamaru provided.

As they are leaving Shikamaru presses his hand against Neji’s stomach once more with another hand on the small of his back. Neji smiles and slips his hand into Shikamaru’s. Everything is going to be okay; he doesn’t know how but everything is going to be okay.


	2. Epilogue

Neji was well within his last trimester when he pulled out the ring that Shikamaru had given him. It had sat in the nightstand drawer by the bed just waiting until he was ready. It had taken some time to feel at home again. Shikamaru did everything in his power to make sure that Neji knew that he wasn’t going to let him go again. That had started with the argument with Tamari. Shikamaru had dismissed her as a friend, it turns out she was waiting for Neji to get out of the picture so she could have Shikamaru all to herself. Shikamaru didn’t take that very well.

Then dealing with Kiba. Hinata wasn’t very happy with him, telling him that if she must choose between her brother or him, she will pick her brother. Neji could not express how much that made him happy, to know that Hinata would pick him.

It was also nice to have Shikamaru sit through all the doctors’ appointments and drive out at crazy hours to feed his cravings. All in all, it had been good, better than good it had been great and Neji was ready, ready to take the next step. He just isn’t sure if Shikamaru would be willing to take that step with him.

He slips the ring on and smiles at it before heading downstairs to their kitchen as he is halfway down the stairs he is met by Shikamaru who gives him a disapproving look, “I know you were listening when the doctor told you that you need to stay off your feet as much as possible.”

Neji huffs, “I know but it wouldn’t be this bad if you hadn’t put twins in me.”

Shikamaru smiles broadly at this and then hums, “Okay why did you decide to come down. I was just about to come up with your breakfast.”

Neji takes a deep breath, “I want to elope.”

Shikamaru blinks, “Excuse me?”

Neji hums softly and maneuvers over to the couch, “I want to go down to the courthouse and get married today. I’ve been thinking about this for a while now and, well I want to be married to you when the kids come… And you know once I’m not pregnant I will go into heat and then we can complete the mating bond…”

Neji looks down at his hands fiddling with the ring. Shikamaru smiles pressing a kiss into the side of Neji’s mouth. “Alright let’s do it. You call Hinata and I will go get some rings until we can get proper ones.”

Neji hums, “About the rings… I kinda already ordered some and they came in the mail yesterday… Please don’t be mad.”

Shikamaru laughs softly, “Got this all planned out didn’t you.”

Neji turns his face up pressing it to the underside of Shikamaru’s chin, “Yep.”

The turn of events after that happen quickly. Hinata is overjoyed to be their witness for the marriage. They don’t have to wait long at the county courthouse and within the hour they are officially married. Neji couldn’t believe his luck, this was something that he dreamed about. It isn’t a huge wedding and he knows that that will come later, but to finally be able to say that he is Neji Nara and that their children will be born into a connected house is more than he could ever wish for. Everything is perfect and he couldn’t be happier.

 

-Fin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you very much for all of you're love and support as well as reading. You can always hit me up on my Tumblr; Ggeri Sminth if you would like to chat or see what I might be up too. As always don't forget to Comment and Kudo! Thanks! ^^

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you very much for all of you're love and support as well as reading. You can always hit me up on my Tumblr; Ggeri Sminth if you would like to chat or see what I might be up too. As always don't forget to Comment and Kudo! Thanks! ^^


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